Mariusz Wach: Busted for Steroids?

Preliminary findings suggest that heavyweight contender Mariusz Wach (27-1, 15 KO) of Poland has tested positive for anabolic steroids following his one-sided beat-down at the hands Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko on November 10.

According to The German newspaper Bild, Mariusz Wach's A-sample came back positive. At this moment, however, his B-sample remains untested.

Results of that test will likely be reported within the next 24 to 72 hours.

Keep in the mind, the current results are only preliminary. In October, Erik Morales' A and B samples came back positive but the third test result was negative.

If Wach's B sample is also positive and evidence is conclusive the 6'8"/203 cm Pole attempted to cheat, Wach will likely be suspended by the sanctioning bodies involved (WBA, IBF and WBO) and fined heavily by the German Boxing Commission.

The suspension penalty, if enforced, could force Wach out of action for a year.

Woefully over-matched against Wladmir Klitschko three weeks ago, Krakow Poland's super-sized heavyweight entered the bout with seven straight knockouts. And the fight, Klitschko vs Wach, marked the first time in the champion's 16 year pro career, the 6'6" Klitschko faced an opponent taller than himself.

But aside from providing about 20 seconds of brutality towards the end of Round 5, Mariusz Wach was little more than a human punching bag from start to finish. The Pole absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment throughout and many believed the bout should have been stopped at the end of Round 8.

Did steroids impact Wach's ability to absorb heavy shots from the champion? Can steroids even be beneficial in this area?

Answers to the aforementioned questions are not yet known but one thing is for certain: If Mariusz Wach was guilty of taking performance enhancement drugs (PEDs), they provided little, if any, benefit for him offensively against Klitschko.

Looking slow, sluggish and a bit clumsy at times, the 32 year old Mariusz Wach fought like the classic "big man." Simply put, Klitschko made the Polish star look amateurish on a fair number of occasions during the bout.

Regardless of the Wach findings, its strongly believed PEDs can give an unfair advantage to a fighter whose skills are "comparable" to his opponent's, a scenario that is seemingly unlike Klitschko vs Wach.

Unfortunately, its looking more and more like boxing may have a serious issue with PEDs given the handful of high-profile fighters who have been busted this year.

Wach's testing is not yet conclusive and his management is purportedly livid with how the case had been handled thus far.

Mariusz Wach Facts:

Wach began boxing at age 10 and also trained in mixed-martial arts; He began fighting as an amateur at 19.

Mariusz was a Polish National Champion and won a Silver Medal in European Union Championships

In 2004, Mariusz Wach was an Olympic Alternate for Poland

He only won 6 of his first 15 pro bouts by knockout but had reeled off 7 consecutive knockouts prior to facing Wladimir Klitschko in Nov 2012